Sunday, June 6, 2010

Yes, Summer is here. Maybe not officially - per the calendar - but if you live in the beautiful state of Texas then you know that Summer pretty much begins the moment the kids get released on the last day of school. Around here, that's when it all slows down a bit. Dinner is pushed back to 7:30 and long nights of playing out past dark evoke games of hide-n-seek and kick-the-can. For us, when it's sizzling outside, we like to cool off with some cool and creamy treats. My family never seems to turn down ice cream and during the summer months my ice cream maker gets more use than you can imagine. You can usually find simple vanilla in our freezer but since ice cream comes in so many flavors, I am constantly playing around to find something unique. Today I stayed traditional, making my daughter's favorite - some cool refreshing mint chip ice cream. Even though I have plenty of fresh mint in my yard, I have to tell you that when your in the moment and craving something cool and creamy, it makes me pretty thankful I have an ice cream machine and a bottle of mint extract at my disposal. This way, I can save the fresh mint for garnish - or better yet, a mojito! I'm jus' sayin'!

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"I'm jus' sayin'..."

Welcome to my blog. I was born and raised in Northern California and 13 years ago I packed my Kitchen-Aid and moved from sunny and predictable weather to smoking-hot, unpredictable Austin, Texas. GRITS is an acronym for Girls Raised In The South. It took me a while but I got here (hence the "Girl Gone") and now I don’t think I ever want to leave. The food, people, BBQ (I make that distinction from food because BBQ is its own entity around these parts), and lively music keeps my feet tapping and my heart grounded. Along for the ride is my best friend and husband, our two kids (a teenaged daughter and a 24-year-old son), 2 Catahoulas and my Mom that lives just a few blocks away. I love to write stories about the food I grew up with and the new dishes I come across. I’m an accidental photographer and, novice gardener, loving wife and mother, family cook, and chief bottle-washer. A perfect day for me is getting in the truck with my favorite guy to go explore a new food market, be it farmers, ethnic or even grocery, and then come home to cook up something comforting for the soul. My day job is really a dream job, I'm a food stylist here in Austin and I actually get paid to play with food. Every job/client is unique and I love how it's a revolving door of creativity. We love casual entertaining where tapas and cocktails on the patio has become a spring time ritual. I hope you enjoy the recipes and stories. Thanks for stopping by and checking out my blog... I’m jus’ sayin’!